Today the topic may be creamed soup recipes. Tomorrow it could be the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. Next week it could be how to bottle and sell all the energy our grandchildren have. Whatever the topic, there's surely something to please you.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

So far this summer has not been much fun. Of course the main reason is the death of my son-in-law. In addition to that, it has been very difficult for me to deal with the summertime heat. Once the sun gets up to the 11:00 a.m. point and on into the deep afternoon and early evening shadows, my home heats up like a virtual oven. I have no air conditioning and my home is a mobile home. I have been seriously trying since March or so to find another place to move to that not only has air conditioning, preferably central air, and also laundry facilities, as well as some other details that help out when one is disabled. This whole issue of being disabled is still rather new and therefore, learning how to overcome the problems I have getting things done is still often difficult for me. It is also very humbling. When you have to hire someone to come and clean your home for you and they have to do things you would rather be doing yourself, but for whatever reason, you can't, it just chisels away at any pride you may have left. The summer heat makes doing things for myself that much more difficult.Currently I am waiting to hear from an apartment complex about whether or not they will accept me as one of their tenants. I am really hoping I hear soon and can get moved in even sooner. LOL I am so hot I don't make sense.Work in the call center has continued after a brief 3 week leave of absence. I don't like it anymore than I did before I took the loa, but it pays the bills and I need every penny of it. So this week I have challenged myself to become willing to learn to like my job. At first I thought I might have to be made willing to be willing, but I know I need to do this, so that part of the struggle isn't so bad. For now I am mentally listing the things I do like about the job and I am sure that in reality, there are more things that I like than I dislike. The hardest part, especially in this heat, is wearing the headset. I feel like I am wearing ear muffs! Ear muffs in 90 degree temperatures just doesn't make any sense. They are small so don't cover my ears completely, but they are big enough to be a bother. I also don't like wearing the headset because I never did like anything on my head or face. It is bad enough to have to wear glasses. Makes me feel like I am in a glass box. The headset just adds to that feeling. Hard to explain unless you also know the feeling. I feel like I am being pushed down into...well, just can't figure out how to describe the sensation.As you may know by reading my other blogs, my name is Cindy. I use that name at the call center and for some reason, men especially, don't seem to be able to understand me when I give my name. I am making a list of the names I get called instead of Cindy. It is getting more funny all the time. Here is the list so far: Tiffany, Trinity, Cynthia (which is my real name, but not what I use at the call center), and most recently, Stoney. That was just this week, yesterday I think. Why is it the men who can't get the name right? I am not even going to try to answer that one. I like the elderly ladies who tend to call me Honey, Sweetie, Sweetheart. Makes me feel young again.Speaking of names, it still makes me wonder what the callers are thinking when they call up a large business and ask for someone by their first name only. For example: "Can I speak with Bob?" Well, gee! Just how common is the name Bob? Or Robert? Or Mary or John? Why do people seem to think they can get transferred to this person on this information alone? But the funniest of all, and also most irritating is when they call and ask for the person by both first and last name, and I ask for the department or extension number, and they repeat the name again. When I mention that I don't have a list of names, but need more information, what do they do? They repeat the first and last name again. Are they not listening or what? I just told them I cannot transfer them by the name alone and that I need either a department or extension number. And they answer me with the name again. I always recognize these calls as probable bill collectors or other calls not related to the business they have called. We are not allowed to transfer them unless they have the information we request. It is just a bit funny how they respond. Oh, and they don't hang up when they are finally convinced we cannot transfer them. We close the conversation, and say have a good day or whatever we use to end the call, and they say thank you, etc....and they just hang there. We end up having to be the one to disconnect the call. Almost everyone of these kinds of calls go that way. So predictable.Another one is when they will ask after they only offer a name, if we have a human resources department that can help them find this person. Well, since we are not allowed to transfer them anyway because of the type of call it is and not business related, and since we do not have an actual human resources department per se, they just don't give up. Well, do you have a personnel department? LOL Oh my! Now isn't that just repeating the previous question with different wording? Do they think we are stupid?If you are listed in your phone book, how many calls do you get where they ask for a person who does not live at your location? If it isn't a recording with the name patched in, do you talk to the person or just hang up? These calls are the ones you can recognize as being from bill collectors. They are so formal and professional sounding. That's the same kinds of calls we get. Lots of times it is because the employee put the work number down on some application or such so now it becomes a point of contact and these guys just don't quit when trying to talk to the person they are looking for. They are doing their job. And we are doing ours. Stalemate! But, if any of you has that kind of job, once you know you won't get transferred to that person you are looking for, please just hang up when the call ends. Thanks! (HINT: If you are someone making a call such as this and you are not a bill collector and really need to get in contact with the person at the business, whatever the business, give a little information as to what the call is about. It really can help the operator locate the person for you and get you transferred.)

There haven't been any new photos to add to the photography blog since the fireworks. I am trying to figure out how to make one single video out of all the videos I took there without using photobucket.com. And I am also trying to figure out if there is a way to download all my videos from photobucket to my computer since photobucket has converted them into a different file format. Also, I am fast running out of space at photobucket and don't want to remove videos from the site so I can add more. I am open to suggestions if any of you have any.

A new grandson is expected the end of September. With all the granddaughters on that branch of the family tree, it will be nice to have another grandson. I know his older brother is looking forward to having a little brother to play with. That is Son's family. He has two daughters, one son, and two step daughters. It is kind of a mixture of The Brady Bunch and the old movie Yours Mine and Ours. He seems to enjoy being a daddy though. He is much a big kid himself and likes playing with all the kids. They all listen to him most of the time when he needs them to behave. Now, the rest of us??? That's another story. But they are learning. The oldest is just 7.

Daughter and grandson are doing the best they can at this point in their lives. This isn't an easy time for them, but Daughter is keeping active and keeping things done that need done. She is doing a good job. I know it isn't easy for her and it makes me so sad to think of all she is going through right now. I just wish I could do more for her.

Well, I guess that is about all there is to catching you all up to where I am right now. It is so nice and cool in here right now I could keep on writing, but it is getting late and I still have other things to do before I get to bed. I wish I could bottle this and keep it for the heat of the day tomorrow. Housecleaning day tomorrow after work. That will help. I think I may have some early organizing and packing starting in the hopes that I will actually be moving out of here soon.

You just have to go to this website and give this a try. It's fun. I found the site from visiting another blog, then entered the URL of this blog and the following is the Wordle that was created from that reference. Isn't it cool? I love how the words fun and family just burst off the page amidst the rest of the words. It generated quickly even though much of this blog is made up of videos and photos. You can visit the wordle website at this link: http://wordle.net

The blog I found this site from had an actual picture of their wordle creation. Mine just shows the link. But if you click on that link it will take you to the wordle creation made from this blog. Later, if I figure out how to do it, I will put the actual picture on here.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Be sure when the videos displayed are finished playing, to click on other videos at the bottom of the screens because there are more funny ones there. Just know that if YouTube snuck any in that shouldn't be there on a family-friendly site...it wasn't from me.

Hey, this guy is really funny and it is so refreshing to find good comedy without the need for the not-so-good language so many comedians think they need to use to be funny. Real funny stuff doesn't need those kinds of words. These videos prove it! Have fun.

Friday, July 11, 2008

I have been playing around on YouTube this afternoon and evening. Nothing special, just more classic oldies. That is, until I came across this one. That is when I decided it was time for some fun on this blog again. So here goes.....

Of course it is much more fun to find these videos by accident. Then it is a fun surprise. But below are some I looked for to add to the summertime fun.

And now.....for your comparison and pleasure....

Well??? Which one is your favorite version???

No summer party would be complete without these now would they???

Well, I hope you had fun at my little impromptu summer party. That's all for tonight...that is...unless I come across something else I might just have to add.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Getting back on here to blog has been a bit difficult. I don't seem to know what to blog about right now. So please, just be patient as I get back in the swing of things. June was not such a nice month for our family as you know by now. In addition to my son-in-law's death, another death in the family occurred as my nephew's mom died of cancer less than 2 weeks later. We have all been out of touch with that part of the family for so long, and it is a sad thing when tragedies are the catalyst of bringing people back together. But hopefully from here on out, we won't be so out of contact with each other anymore.

My entire family seems to be in the midst of dramatic changes, some kind of planned, and others so unexpected, but now forced upon us. Everything from possible marriage, divorce, custody issues, business changes, changes in living arrangements and locations, to new births coming up and deaths unwanted, it all seems to be happening during this summer period and into early fall. We have had birthday after birthday for the grandkids...one or two a month since April. That has been fun, and exciting for the kids especially. Another one this weekend, {along with mine ;-)} . Then a friend's son's birthday party is coming up the following weekend.

There is one puppy left of the 8 that lived. Daughter is going to give it to Angels For Animals if no one comes to claim it this weekend. She won't give it to just anyone--wants to be sure it goes to someone who is going to keep it and take good care of it. All the other puppies went to friends of theirs. The momma dog belongs to Daughter and was Son-in-law's dog as well. The pappa dog belonged to their best friend who died last fall. So these puppies are very special to all their friends who like being able to say that they got their puppy from dogs owned by the two best friends who died so close in time. As for friend support, I have never in my life seen such a wonderful support network of friends as I have seen rallying around my daughter and grandson. It has been wonderful. Her church was also very very supportive and helpful over the past few weeks. My church, on the other hand, bordered on neglectful even though my daughter attended there with me for awhile. This has been a decisive event in my church life as I had already been seriously thinking of changing churches due to the total lack of it being a support network for me during the worst of my illness over the past two years.

Well, with that, I end this post today. I'm back, but it may be slow going for awhile. I have a lot to get caught up on.

Come on over, sit a spell. Relax and enjoy the ramblings of a small town grandma and I will share with you the wit and wisdom gained over years of attendance in the school of life. Maybe we will even have some fun!

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About Me

I am a photographer specializing in abstract, still life, landscape, nature, wildlife, and other genres. Also a mother of two adult children who have given me eight grandchildren. I am a Christian first and foremost, a patriotic American, who loves the Bible and the wisdom within the pages.